10 Buenos Aires neighborhoods that don’t get much hype, but deserve a visit

This neighborhood divides the city in two and is a treasure trove. With irregular streets, diagonals, old houses, tower complexes, traditional bodegas, diverse communities, parks, and squares, this area offers a picturesque experience rich in culture and history.

It is home to the city’s third-largest green lung: Parque Dr. Nicolás Avellaneda. Its 30 hectares feature a wide variety of flora and 25 bird species. Still, the park's cultural value is its most interesting aspect. It houses the "Los Olivera" mansion, a 19th-century farmhouse and the only remaining estate in the city, now a contemporary art center. The park also boasts an athletics track at the Avellaneda Sports Center and the city's first swimming pool. The park is like a journey through time, complete with a former dairy farm turned cultural space called Chacra de los Remedios.

Tip: We recommend having lunch at Yiyo el Zeneize, a bodega offering varied and delicious dishes in an area that feels like a museum.

Where: Av. Eva Perón 4402, Yiyo el Zeneize; Av. Directorio and Lacarra, Espacio Cultural Chacra de los Remedios.

This neighborhood has seen a quiet rise in popularity since the pandemic. New buildings, projects, and businesses are multiplying across its peaceful landscape. Famous for its massive Parque Saavedra, Club Atlético Platense fans, and murals dedicated to the team, Saavedra is also the home of tango legend Roberto Goyeneche, and it features bakeries like La Kitchen and Parque Sarmiento.

Its lesser-known corner, “Barrio Parque Saavedra,” also known as “Barrio Perón,” is a residential area near the General Paz highway and three huge parks. The streets are irregular and semicircular, designed in a garden city style. It's filled with chalet-style homes with pitched roofs and front gardens, offering a charming route that leads to Parque General Paz, Parque Carlos Mugica, and Parque Sarmiento.

Tip: Stroll through Parque General Paz, where you’ll find grass, trees, sports stations, and a lake, bridge, and the highlight, the Buenos Aires Historical Museum "Cornelio de Saavedra."

Where: Av. Crisólogo Larralde 6309, Buenos Aires Historical Museum; Av. Melián 3167, Roberto Goyeneche’s house; Núñez 3400, La Kitchen.

Famous as the neighborhood where Diego Armando Maradona lived and where legendary musician Pappo was born, La Paternal is a hub for tributes to football and the birthplace of Argentine heavy metal. It’s a working-class neighborhood with unclear boundaries, known for its auto parts shops on Warnes Avenue (established after WWII due to the scarcity of parts), low-rise buildings, and the bustling activity on its main avenues.

Beyond being the birthplace of Argentinos Juniors' first stadium, where Maradona debuted, La Paternal is green and full of charm. The area known as “La Isla” is a unique neighborhood surrounded by train tracks, parks, and a cemetery. It has its own children’s play areas and plenty of green space.

Tip: Choose between the traditional pasta dishes at the Chichilo bodega or the vegan innovations at Tita, the star of the area.

Where: Camarones 1901, Chichilo; Paz Soldán 4993, Tita la vedette; Lascano 2257, Diego Maradona's House.

Known by some as “The Garden of Buenos Aires,” Villa Devoto stands out for its elegance, lush greenery, and carefully manicured luxury homes. This neighborhood, once a home to Maradona, is both a gastronomic and wine district, and it's gradually becoming more densely populated.

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One of its secrets is the Metropolitan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, occupying four blocks and with over 400 years of history. This institution for priest formation offers guided tours, where visitors can explore the library, grand hall, and mysterious tunnels connecting old passages.

Tip: For something sweet and elegant, try Betular Patisserie. For coffee, visit Café de García, or for a barbecue, head to El Patio.

Where: Sanabria 3302, Café de García; Mercedes 3900, Betular Patisserie; Allende 3371, El Patio; José Cubas 3543, Metropolitan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception.

Often associated with the Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, Agronomía is one of the city’s greenest neighborhoods. Its large parks, mostly part of the university, surround a quiet residential area, intersecting between student and family life.

The neighborhood also includes an “unofficial” part: Barrio Rawson, where iconic Argentine writer Julio Cortázar grew up. This small enclave, just a few blocks from Av. San Martín, is a peaceful oasis of English-style homes where neighbors know each other, and children play in the streets—a true fairytale setting.

Tip: Don’t miss the Lucien Hauman Botanical Garden, and grab a bite at the magical Rayuela Bar.

Where: Av. de los Constituyentes 3290, Lucien Hauman Botanical Garden; José Gervasio Artigas 3199, Rayuela Bar.

Situated between Parque Avellaneda and Caballito, Flores is a neighborhood of contrasts. On one side, it has leafy squares and low-rise houses, and on the other, it boasts a thriving commercial corridor. Much of its fame comes from Avenida Avellaneda’s wholesale clothing stores.

Flores is also home to Buenos Aires’ Korean community. Known as “Koreatown” or “Little Korea,” the Bajo Flores area has established itself with Korean restaurants, shops, and temples. There's also a gastronomic hub near Avenida Avellaneda and Nazca with Korean eateries and clothing stores. The Kim Yun Shin Museum is currently closed, but it’s a cultural point to remember.

Tip: For a taste of traditional Korean cuisine, we recommend “Una Canción Coreana,” offering vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.

Where: Av. Carabobo 1549, Una Canción Coreana; Felipe Vallese 2945, Kim Yun Shin Museum; Ruperto Godoy 761, Karaoke W.

A slice of the countryside in Buenos Aires, Mataderos keeps gaucho culture alive. From Sunday fairs offering food, crafts, and folk shows to the Criollo Museum of the Corrales, Mataderos maintains the mystique of its historical role in Argentina’s livestock industry. Known as “Nueva Chicago” for its resemblance to the U.S. city, it’s also the namesake of its football team, Club Atlético Nueva Chicago.

Tip: Stop by La Ochavita, a bodega run by its owners with unbeatable classic dishes. But make sure to book a table in advance—it fills up fast.

Where: Av. de los Corrales 6436, Criollo Museum; Av. de los Corrales and Av. Lisandro de la Torre, Mataderos Fair; Pieres 1399, La Ochavita.

One of the smallest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, Coghlan’s history is written on the facades of large homes built in the early 19th century during the development of the Mitre Railway. These English-style houses are cultural heritage sites, so their facades remain unchanged—a perfect setting for an architectural tour.

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Visiting the Coghlan train station is an experience in itself, with shaded spots all day long, activities for children, a library, and even a specialty coffee shop.

Tip: This neighborhood houses the Anne Frank Center, where you can find original artifacts from the Frank family and a replica of the annex where they hid during the Holocaust.

Where: Superí 2647, Anne Frank Center; Estomba 2649, Coghlan Station Library; Estomba and Pedro I. Rivera, Café Estación Verde; Naón and Pedro I. Rivera, Paseo de los Libros.

Dubbed the "Bermuda Triangle" of Buenos Aires, Parque Chas is known for its radiocentric urban layout—diagonal and circular streets that create a maze on the map. It’s the second youngest neighborhood in the city, nestled between Agronomía, Villa Ortúzar, and Villa Urquiza. Among its quirks are Berlín Street, which loops around itself, and Bauness Street, which intersects with itself, as well as a roundabout with a fountain surrounded by six corners.

Once inside this neighborhood, the sense of isolation is real, as noise from the city disappears. With mostly low-rise houses and old-style corner stores, Parque Chas feels like a trip back in time. To avoid getting lost, choose streets without European city names.

Tip: End your tour with a stop at La Vuelta, a small café. Their "Parque Chas" sandwich is a customer favorite, and they also host fairs and cultural events.

Where: Gándara 3000, La Vuelta.

In this neighborhood, art and politics are in the air. It is named after Mariano Joaquín Boedo, a hero of Argentine independence, and has been populated by workers since its early days. This area has a strong political identity linked to the labor movement, which solidified in the 1920s with the formation of a group of avant-garde artists and intellectuals known as the Grupo Boedo, who established their own publishing house at 837 Boedo Street.

Tango is another cultural expression that has enriched the neighborhood since its beginnings, when cafés were gathering places for musicians, dancers, and lyricists. The porteño tradition can be felt in each of its cafés and the bares notables along its main avenues (Boedo Ave. and San Juan Ave.).

Tip: Café Margot is a landmark of the neighborhood. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, it has a warm, vintage ambiance, and its menu features the renowned turkey sandwich.

Where: Av. Boedo 857., Café Margot.